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Yalta and Potsdam Conferences
Allied leaders (US, UK, USSR) meet to discuss post-war Europe, setting the stage for the division of the continent. -
Iron Curtain" Speech
Winston Churchill warns of the division of Europe, marking the start of the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
The US provides economic aid to rebuild Western Europe, further solidifying the divide. -
Truman's famous speech
commonly cited as the "start" given that it verbalized a consistent American policy towards the USSR which formed the basis for the relations between the two countries going forward -
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
Germany was divided into four zones of occupation, one each for the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union. The Soviets, unhappy with the Western powers' plans for a unified Germany, blockaded West Berlin, which was located within the Soviet zone, in an attempt to force the Western powers out. -
Korean People's Democratic Republic
This event marked the establishment of the communist state in the northern part of the Korean peninsula, following the Soviet occupation after World War II. -
the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb detonation
This marked a significant shift in the power dynamic, as the Soviet Union became the second nation to possess nuclear weapons, ending the US's monopoly. -
the Korean War
started in June 1950 and lasted until 1953 -
Ceasefire
The war ended in a ceasefire in 1953, with Korea remaining divided along the 38th parallel. -
Vietnam War
a protracted conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, against the government of South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States (1954- 1975 -
Cuban Missile Crisis
a tense standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over the presence of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. 1962 - 1969 -
the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
aimed to prop up the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul, but resulted in a decade-long war and a devastating impact on Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, ultimately contributing to the USSR's collapse. -
Deployment of Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) (1983)
The US and NATO deployed Pershing II and cruise missiles in Europe, prompting a Soviet response with the SS-20 missiles. -
Chernobyl Disaster (1986)
The nuclear accident in Ukraine highlighted the dangers of nuclear power and strained the Soviet Union's image. -
INF Treaty (1987)
The United States and the Soviet Union signed a treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles, a landmark arms control agreement. -
the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
The opening of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War division, marked a turning point in the conflict. -
Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact (1991)
The military alliance of communist states in Eastern Europe dissolved. -
Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)
The Soviet Union dissolved into its constituent republics, ending the Cold War. -
first Chechen War
Conflicts in Chechnya, a region within Russia, emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union. -
Conflicts in Chechnya, a region within Russia, emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Conflicts in Chechnya, a region within Russia, emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union.